Head lamps of motor vehicles



' April 16, 1929.

W. G. YARDLEY HEAD LAMPS OF MOTOR VEHICLES Wdl/ar 6 40,70, yet r117 2 vflfiz m,

Filed April 20, 1927 I Aux/m 1 Patented Apr. 16, r

. ,UNITED STATES PATENTVOF F lCE.

wnmnnenonen YARD'LEY, or rALmEns'ToN non'TH, NEW ZEALAND,

HEAD LAMPS or oron ama Application filed Apri12 0, 192?,Serial N'o;185,2 79,'a n.d in New ZeaIand October 1a, 1926;

This invention relates to means for use in mounting the head lamps ofmotor vehicles and in the operation thereof so that a num forward in thedirection in which the vehlclels to be turned, 1n a manner that isalready well known; but in this invention a combined action is obtainedunder which the lamps are also tipped so as to throwtheir beams downwardto immediately in front of the vehicles course. This ensures that thedriver, when turning a corner,' will be given a full view of his courseand also of the roadway immediately in front of his front wheels sothathis turning is facilitated.

The means devised provide, in the second place, for the lamps beingoperated manually to be tipped, and at the same time to havea swivellingmovement imparted to them to di-. rect their beams downward and totheleft hand, when they vehicle is running on the straight, so that thelamp beams are diverted from their direct bearing on on-coming vehiclesand at the sametime illum'ine the vehicles own coursewith the fullstrength. of the lamps.

These automatic effects are obtained by the mounting of each lamp upon avertical spindle i that is bent slightly at its upper end, andthe lowerend of which is mounted to rotate in a bracket sosthat on rotationof thespindle, in addition to the turning of the lamp in a vertical plane, thelamp will be tipped by reason of the bend in the spindle. The simulta,neous turning of the two lamp spindles is de signed to be obtainedthrough special COI1I1 8ctions with each other and with the steeringmechanism of the car so that the'combined a c- 7 tion mentioned isproduced through the operto tip the brackets and lamps carried thereby,andwhich rocking motion is obtained by coniently to the driversseat.

,upper spindle is turned in the bracket the lamps nection witha handlever positioned conven of the brackets, while the swivelling connectionwith the steering mechanism is -maintain'ed stationary, will cause thesimultaneous swivelling movement of the lamp spindles. 7 These meansareillustrated inthe accompanying drawings, which are to a great extentdi'a'granunatic,as the details of the operating mechanism-may be variedin a number of ways and will be so varied in the application of theinvention to different classes of vehicles.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a motor car fitted withlamps mounted and actuated in the manner referred to. a

Figure 2 is a plan of the mountingand operating means. I I Figure. 3 isa view in side elevation of the means for manually tipping the lamps.

Figure 4 is a similar view of the means for automatically swivelling thelamps.

' Figure5 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of the lampcarrying brackets and its adjacent parts I 1 In carrying out theinvention, a bracketA is provided for each lamp, such bracket consistingof a metal block of approved length having a bore made to extend axiallythrough it. The two brackets are connected together by means of a bar-B, and such bar is carried in journalsC fixed to convenient parts of thevehicle body so that the barextends transversely across the front of thevehicle and is capable of turning in its bearings.

v Each lampD'is fixed. upon the upper end that it mayturn therein,. thespindle being supported by means of a collar c on its upper endthatrests on the brackettop, and being secured by a spring cushionandnut e at its lower end that keepsit from independent movement in thebracket.

The spindle has its upper end bent at an angle to: the portion withinthe bracket and the lamp is fixed. in the same plane as this portion.MConsequently when the angle to the vertical will varyfrom a position inwhich it is truly vertical to onefin whichit inclines downwardly andforwardly to a maximum degree as represented by the angle at which thespindle end is bent.

The two brackets are adapted to be disposed The movement a so that theyextend normally upon the vehicle with a slope rearwards and upwards fromtheir lower ends and at an angle such that the upper portions of thespindles E then extend vertically to hold the lamps in the verticalpositions with their beams thrown straight ffOIWtlCl. The rotating oithe spindle therefore in either direction. will result in the lampsbeing tipped downwardly and forwardly because of the set or angle of theupper P51117111 relation to the lower. The rocking of the.

bracket carrying bar B. inits journals will also act to tip the lampsdownwards and upto the lower end ot a hand lever H. Such hand lever isarticulated in the vehicle frame and extends upward from the floor ofthe body in a position convenient to thedriver so that he may rock thelever and thereby move the connecting rod Gr longitudinally to turn thebrackets up or down. Any approved and known means may be provided tohold the lever at the position to which it may be moved.

To provide for the automatic turning of the lamp spindles in theirbrackets, the two spindles are connected togetherbya transverseconnecting rod J: that has its ends attached to crank arms K afiixed toextend horizontally from the upperends ot the respective spindles. Oneof the spindles has a crank arm M'fixed on its lower end and extendinglaterally with relation to the vehicle and this crank rod is connectedby a pivot joint to the tor-ward end of a rod N which has its rear endconnected to a rocking lever 0 (Figure l) mounted on the underframe ofthe vehicle. This rocking lever is linked to the steering lever arm P ofthe vehicles steering mechanism so that in the longitudinal movements ofsuch arm inits two directions. a push or pull will be exerted on the rodN to cause the spindle to which it is connected to turn and at the sametime, through the cranks K and connecting rod J, to turn the otherspindle correspondingly and in accordance with the direction in whichthesteering gear is moved.

As before explained, this turning of the spindles in their hearingbrackets (which are heldtfirm) will result in the lamps being tippeddownward it the parts are properly positioned with respect to the normalpositions. 1

brackets are tipped: manually through the operation of the hand lever Hthere is a movement of the bottom end of the spindle, to which the crankarm M is attached with re- It will be apparent also that when the spectto the rod N to which such crank is also attached. As this rod isstationary it follows that a turning movement is imparted to the crankand through it to the spindles so that the lamps are deflected to oneside when they are tipped. Such deflection is arranged to takeplacotowards the oil side of the vehicle.

As the lamps are tipped up again, their side the brackets are secured;bearing means wherein said bar is rotatably supported; a lamp spindlefor each bracket embodying a rearwardlyand upwardly-inclined lowerportion rotatably mounted in the bracket and a normallywertical upperportion; a lamp secured to the latter portion of each spindle; a deviceconnected to one spindle and adapted to be operated automatically by thesteering mechanism of the vehicle for rotating that spindle and therebyproducing a combined lateral rotary movement and downward and forwardtipping movement of the associated lamp; and a connection betweenthe twospindles for transmitting such combined movement to the other spindleand lamp.

2. In a dirigible headlight system for motor vehicles, a pair of:tubular brackets disposed in rearwardlyand upwardly-inclined position;'a'horizontal carrier bar to which the brackets are secured; bearingmeans wherein said bar is rotatably supported; a lamp spindle for each b'acket embodying a rearwardlyand upwardlyinclined lower portionrotatably mounted in the bracket and a normally-vertical upper portion alamp secured to the latter portion of each spindle; a device connectedto one spindle and adapted to be operated automatically by the steeringmechanism of the vehicle for rotating that spindle and thereby producinga combined lateral rotary movement and downward and forward tippingmovement of the associated lamp; a connection between the two spindlesfor transmitting such combined movement to the other spindle and lamp;and means inde-' pendent of the spindle-rotating device for positivelyrocking the carrier bar about its axis at will so as to tip bothbrackets and their associated lamps alternatively downward or upwarch 3.In a dirigible headlight system for motor. vehicles a oair of tubularbrackets disposed in rearwardlyand upwardly-1ncl1ned position; ahor1zontal earner bar to which the brackets are secured; bearing meanswherein said bar is rotatably supported; a lamp spindle for eachbracketembodying a rearwardlyand upwardly-inclined lower portion rotatablymounted in the bracket and a normally-vertical upper portion; a lampsecured to the latter portion of each spindle; a crank secured to thelower portion of one v spindle; a rod connected at one end to said crankand adapted to be connected at its other end to the steering mechanismof the vehicle to be shifted automatically by the same and to rotate thecrank-carrying spindle so as .to produce a combined lateral rotarymovement and downward and forward tipping movement of the associatedlamp; a collar secured to the vertical upper portion of each spindle andprovided with a crank arm; and a connecting rod between said crank armsfor transmitting the rotary movement of the crank-carrying spindle tothe other spindle.

4. In a dirigible headlight system for motor vehicles, a pair of tubularbrackets disposed in rearwardlyand upwardly-inclined position; ahorizontal carrier bar to which the brackets are secured; bearing meanswherein said bar is rotatably supported; a

lamp spindle forieach bracket embodying a rearwardlyandupwardly-inclined lower portion rotatably mounted in the bracketand anormally-vertical upper portion; a lampv secured to the latter portionof each spindle; a crank secured-to the lower portion of one spindle; arod connected at one end to said crank and adapted to be connected'atits" other end to the steering mechanism of the vehicle to beshi'ftedautomatically by the same and to rotate the crank-carrying'spin- 'dle soas to produce a combined lateral rotary movement and downward andforward tip-' ping movement of the associatedvlamp; a collar securedv tothe vertical upper portion vof each spindle and provided with a crankWALTER GEORGE YARDLEY. p

